Georgia Parliament Shuts Doors Amid Protests over ‘Foreign Agents’ Bill

Georgia’s parliament has temporarily closed its doors amid increasingly violent demonstrations against proposed legislation that critics say is undemocratic. “The parliament building … suffered damage after protesters attacked it on May 1,” read a statement released by the legislative assembly. “Therefore, a scheduled May 2 plenary session will not take place,” it added. Recent weeks have seen steadily escalating protests against a proposed “foreign agents” law, which was reintroduced last month by the country’s ruling party. The bill is aimed at combatting perceived foreign influence in the small South Caucasus nation of roughly 3.7 million. If passed, the law would require entities that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from overseas to register as “organizations pursuing foreign interests.”...